Read the New Testament in 24 Weeks
The Sealing of the 144,000
7 After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth so no wind could blow on the earth, on the sea, or on any tree. 2 Then[a] I saw another angel ascending from the east,[b] who had[c] the seal[d] of the living God. He[e] shouted out with a loud voice to the four angels who had been given permission[f] to damage the earth and the sea:[g] 3 “Do not damage the earth or the sea or the trees until we have put a seal on the foreheads of the servants[h] of our God.” 4 Now[i] I heard the number of those who were marked with the seal,[j] 144,000, sealed from all[k] the tribes of the people of Israel:[l]
5 From the tribe of Judah, twelve thousand were sealed,
from the tribe of Reuben, twelve thousand,
from the tribe of Gad, twelve thousand,
6 from the tribe of Asher, twelve thousand,
from the tribe of Naphtali, twelve thousand,
from the tribe of Manasseh, twelve thousand,
7 from the tribe of Simeon, twelve thousand,
from the tribe of Levi, twelve thousand,
from the tribe of Issachar, twelve thousand,
8 from the tribe of Zebulun, twelve thousand,
from the tribe of Joseph, twelve thousand,
from the tribe of Benjamin, twelve thousand were sealed.
9 After these things I looked, and here was[m] an enormous crowd that no one could count, made up of persons from every nation, tribe,[n] people, and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb dressed in long white robes, and with palm branches in their hands. 10 They were shouting out in a loud voice,
“Salvation belongs to our God,[o] who is seated on the throne, and to the Lamb!”
11 And all the angels stood[p] there in a circle around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures, and they threw themselves down with their faces to the ground[q] before the throne and worshiped God, 12 saying,
“Amen! Praise and glory,
and wisdom and thanksgiving,
and honor and power and strength
be to our God for ever and ever. Amen!”
13 Then[r] one of the elders asked[s] me, “These dressed in long white robes—who are they and where have they come from?” 14 So[t] I said to him, “My lord, you know the answer.”[u] Then[v] he said to me, “These are the ones who have come out of the great tribulation. They[w] have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb! 15 For this reason they are before the throne of God, and they serve[x] him day and night in his temple, and the one seated on the throne will shelter them.[y] 16 They will never go hungry or be thirsty again, and the sun will not beat down on them, nor any burning heat,[z] 17 because the Lamb in the middle of the throne will shepherd them and lead them to springs of living water, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”[aa]
The Seventh Seal
8 Now[ab] when the Lamb[ac] opened the seventh seal there was silence in heaven for about half an hour. 2 Then[ad] I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and seven trumpets were given to them. 3 Another[ae] angel holding[af] a golden censer[ag] came and was stationed[ah] at the altar. A[ai] large amount of incense was given to him to offer up, with the prayers of all the saints, on the golden altar that is before the throne. 4 The[aj] smoke coming from the incense,[ak] along with the prayers of the saints, ascended before God from the angel’s hand. 5 Then[al] the angel took the censer, filled it with fire from the altar, and threw it on the earth, and there were crashes of thunder, roaring,[am] flashes of lightning, and an earthquake.
6 Now[an] the seven angels holding[ao] the seven trumpets prepared to blow them.
7 The[ap] first angel blew his trumpet, and there was hail and fire mixed with blood, and it was thrown at the earth so that[aq] a third of the earth was burned up, a third of the trees were burned up, and all the green grass was burned up.
8 Then[ar] the second angel blew his trumpet, and something like a great mountain of burning fire was thrown into the sea. A[as] third of the sea became blood, 9 and a third of the creatures[at] living in the sea died, and a third of the ships were completely destroyed.[au]
10 Then[av] the third angel blew his trumpet, and a huge star burning like a torch fell from the sky;[aw] it landed[ax] on a third of the rivers and on the springs of water. 11 (Now[ay] the name of the star is[az] Wormwood.)[ba] So[bb] a third of the waters became wormwood,[bc] and many people died from these waters because they were poisoned.[bd]
12 Then[be] the fourth angel blew his trumpet, and a third of the sun was struck, and a third of the moon, and a third of the stars, so that a third of them were darkened. And there was no light for a third of the day[bf] and for a third of the night likewise. 13 Then[bg] I looked, and I heard an[bh] eagle[bi] flying directly overhead,[bj] proclaiming with a loud voice, “Woe! Woe! Woe to those who live on the earth because of the remaining sounds of the trumpets of the three angels who are about to blow them!”[bk]
NET Bible® copyright ©1996-2017 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. http://netbible.com All rights reserved.